Miracles and Mysteries in the Field of Massage Part 1

From the Author

I know this article will be read by people who have followed and read my previous publications. In today’s writing, I will refer to some of my earlier articles. At the very end, I will include links to them in case some of you haven’t had the chance to read those yet. This arrangement will help minimize distractions from links throughout the text. Thank you.

If you look at the complete collection of educational programs I offer (link below), 

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/instructional-massage-programs/

one can say that I cover nearly every possible condition we face in our practice. A few years ago, I truly believed that I had completed my teaching mission—that there was nothing more to cover or teach. That was my sense of accomplishment at the time.

However, as I wrote in my recent articles, today we are facing a post-COVID pandemic of chronic stress–related disorders. This chronic stress pandemic has led to a rise in various conditions such as cognitive decline, dementia, chronic fatigue, headaches, and more. These conclusions come from my own extensive clinical observations over the past several years while treating patients suffering from chronic stress–related disorders. As I have stated before, chronic stress triggers multiple conditions with different symptoms, always including elements of cognitive decline.

Of course, everyone welcome to challenge my presentation.

Currently, there is no treatment methodology in healthcare—neither in medicine nor psychology—comparable in power to what massage therapy can achieve. Massage therapy not only manages symptoms but can also lead to complete rehabilitation, preventing the development of degenerative brain diseases and helping people return to normal life.

Chronic stress–related disorders can cripple and disable people, trapping them in the darkness of anxiety, depression, and memory loss. This is the main reason why I decided to return to teaching—to share scientifically based, clinically proven methods that are effective against this pandemic of chronic stress–related illnesses. In my previous articles, I explain in detail the scientific foundation of my approach.

Please follow my announcements—soon I will begin offering webinars and live classes on these important topics.

In the next section of my article, I will present several cases that illustrate true miracles and mysteries. But first, let’s explore the miraculous power and unique nature of massage therapy.To be truly effective massage practitioners, we must understand the miraculous and mysterious powers of massage therapy.

1. The First Miracle – The Power of Electrical Activity
   The most miraculous aspect of massage therapy is our ability, through our hands, to generate a tremendous amount of electrical activity in the body. This process releases action potentials that stimulate the central nervous system and trigger multiple positive responses throughout the body’s organ systems. I personally do not know of any other therapeutic method, including medication, capable of stimulating the human organism as a whole in such a natural and comprehensive way.
2. The Second Miracle – The Power of Technique
   By applying different technical approaches, we can guide the body to respond in specific and needed ways. For example, when performing massage in an inhibitory regime, we can increase the pain threshold and activate the gate control mechanism that closes pain signals. Depending on our treatment goals, we can use specific techniques to stimulate the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and promote the formation of new mitochondria. All these methods are taught in my programs. Each disorder requires specific techniques, and scientists have developed protocols that define which techniques are most effective for particular conditions.
3. The Third Miracle – Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System
   Perhaps the greatest miracle of medical massage is its ability to balance the activities of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This balance is essential to restoring health, and our capacity to influence it through touch is truly remarkable.
4. Energy Work Integration
   In addition to the profound physiological stimulation massage provides, we can also integrate energy work. The science of massage supports and explains the importance of such integration—not only for achieving better therapeutic results but also for protecting the practitioner’s own energy and health.
5. The Power of Knowledge and Adaptation
   The vast body of massage science allows us to apply knowledge and experience from different protocols to various cases. One of my articles (link below) explains how pre-event sports massage techniques can be extremely beneficial for improving passing time of blood flow and stimulating new mitochondria formation.

From all my programs, I believe Program No. 7, which includes training in pre-event sports massage, post-event sports massage, and stretching for all regions of the body, is especially valuable. Post-event sports massage techniques are excellent as foundational tools in medical massage practice because they teach how to perform a full-body massage with deep rehabilitative benefits. This approach is also extremely effective for professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

The full-body stretching techniques included in this program can also be applied when treating pain disorders in the back and extremities. In Program No. 7, I demonstrate detailed stretching plans for the neck, upper back, shoulders, lower back, and legs.

I highly recommend reviewing this program. Learning sports massage techniques provides skills that can be used in many cases—not just in sports-related treatments.

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/products/ceu-volume-7.htm#video_only

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/products/ceu-volumes-programs/

Dear readers, I do not believe that memorizing thousands of pages of anatomy, physiology, and pathology automatically makes us better massage practitioners. In fact, I believe the opposite—memorization without understanding can interfere with truly grasping the science of massage.

Understanding is the key.

At the bottom, I will provide links to my previous writings. I encourage you to read them carefully—not simply to memorize information, but to help you develop a deeper and more practical understanding of our profession.

A Miraculous Case — Without Mystery, Because We Have an Explanation for the Successful Outcome

Three months ago, I received a referral from a neurologist for a 35-year-old woman, a software engineer.

History:
Over the previous six months, she had been experiencing mood changes, loss of motivation, brain fog, dizziness, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. At work, she managed to remain composed but noticed decreased productivity due to difficulty concentrating.

Her primary care physician (PCP) diagnosed her as emotionally and physically exhausted. Blood tests revealed some vitamin deficiencies, so she was prescribed supplements and given a week of rest. After that quiet week, she felt somewhat better and returned to work, believing the vitamin deficiency was the cause.

However, after three weeks, her symptoms returned—fatigue, slowed movement and speech, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, and insomnia. About four months ago, she had contracted COVID-19. Although her infection was mild and she tested negative after one week, she was unable to fully recover. The same symptoms worsened significantly after the infection.

Her PCP referred her to a neurologist. I have worked for many years with a multidisciplinary neurology group, and in recent years, they have referred many patients suffering from chronic stress-related disorders. Over time, we developed a highly effective integrative medical model.

After neurological evaluation, the patient was scheduled for a brain MRI and referred to me for treatment. While awaiting MRI approval, I provided nine sessions. After nearly every treatment, she showed noticeable improvement—less fatigue, smoother movement and speech, improved sleep quality, sharper focus, and better short-term memory.

At one point, she traveled to care for her father for several days and still reported feeling well upon her return. She then received the MRI date, and I provided an additional five sessions before the scan. She asked whether she should still proceed with the MRI since she was feeling so much better. I advised her to go ahead, explaining that the MRI was a standard and harmless diagnostic step ordered by her physician.

MRI findings: Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
She was referred to an MS specialist within the same neurology group, who ordered additional cervical and thoracic spine MRIs—both confirmed MS lesions.

Important point: Despite these findings, she currently feels almost normal—back to work, exercising, and living a functional life.

The referring neurologist called me, surprised: “What a mystery!”
I answered, “A miracle, yes—but not a mystery.”

Massage therapy, when applied with medical understanding, can have profound physiological effects. Pre-event sports massage and post-event rehabilitative massage techniques stimulate the release of acetylcholine and promote the formation of new mitochondria. Chronic stress–related disorders are often associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Over recent years, I’ve consistently achieved positive results by incorporating these techniques.

Most patients with chronic stress–related symptoms are not MS patients, yet they exhibit identical symptoms. This is because mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted acetylcholine activity can mimic MS-like clinical pictures.

When asked for supporting data, I explained that during the Soviet era, much of this research was classified within sports medicine. However, in 2012, a team of Canadian scientists—emigrants from the former USSR—published a study in Science Translational Medicine confirming that massage activates signaling pathways that boost mitochondrial biogenesis, the process by which new mitochondria are formed. The neurologist was astonished; this was solid scientific validation.

I also mentioned Professor Dembo, MD, PhD, a Soviet medical researcher who developed massage protocols for post-concussion rehabilitation and brain function recovery more than 50 years ago. He wrote:

“The reduction in blood flow deprives brain cells of oxygen and glucose necessary for energy production. Without sufficient oxygen, mitochondrial energy pathways are compromised. One of the first goals of medical massage is to increase cerebral blood flow and stimulate new mitochondrial formation.”

These changes cannot be seen on MRI—but they are evident clinically as the patient’s condition improves. MRI may still show old lesions or demyelination, but functionally, patients recover.

This is why medical massage, rooted in biomedical science, remains an essential clinical tool.

Luckily she received enough treatments, to improve condition prior to having MRI.

My strong belief is that if an MRI, including findings suggesting multiple sclerosis (MS), had been done before my treatments, I most likely would have never had the opportunity to see this patient or help her.

With all due respect to MS medications and various infusions, their side effects can often be more severe than the symptoms of MS itself. Moreover, none of these medications can immediately or directly increase blood supply to the brain, stimulate new mitochondria formation, or provide the many other benefits that massage therapy offers — often almost immediately.

The medical director of this neurology group told me how proud he was that together we were able to establish a very safe yet highly effective model of integrative medicine. I completely agreed.

In Part Two, I will share cases that truly blur the line between mystery and miracle.
In the meantime, I welcome your thoughts, questions, agreements, or disagreements.

Miraculous powers, behind physiological effect of massage

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/articles/physiological-effect-of-massage-on-the-human-body.htm

Science-based-medical-and-sports-massage-is-not-rocket-science

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/blog/science-based-medical-and-sports-massage-is-not-rocket-science.htm

Management of Post-Concussion Symptoms and Post-Traumatic Encephalopathy With Medical Massage. Part I

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/blog/management-of-post-concussion-symptoms-and-post-traumatic-encephalopathy-with-medical-massage-part-i.htm

Management of post-concussion symptoms and post-traumatic encephalopathy with medical massage. Part II

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/blog/management-of-post-concussion-symptoms-and-post-traumatic-encephalopathy-with-medical-massage-part-ii.htm

History of the Soviet Medical and Sports Massage

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/blog/history-of-the-soviet-medical-and-sports-massage.htm

Science supporting energy work

https://www.medicalmassage-edu.com/blog/the-placebo-effect-and-its-role-in-massage-therapy-part-2.htm